A message...and an offer.

Wednesday paced in her office, her hands clenched behind her back. All morning, she was unable to think of anything other than what she had witnessed down in the dungeon the night before; two extraordinary first years performing magic her sixth years were struggling with.

She had already gone through the necessary protocol, informing the headmistress and their coven head. Holoc seemed quite intrigued, actually. All that was left was to wait for their answer… Actually, she hadn’t even asked the question yet, but by this point that seemed trivial. Of course, they will jump at this chance. And they’re keeping me waiting.

She checked her watch once again. 3:02. Maybe I should send along another owl…

Kerry hurried to the Charms building, Annie right behind. Kerry hated to be late; he didn't like waiting on people himself, and to do it to others--

Not to mention this was Professor Douglas, and the nature of her note--it didn't take a genius to know this had to do with last night's study in the Charms Dungeon. It's just that the tone of the note was so . . . ambivalent. Kerry couldn't read it. He was pretty good at picking up intent in email, but this note was written in such a way that he couldn't tell if they were in for a hand slap or something worse.

They stormed into the building and went straight for Professor Douglas' office. She was pacing when they arrived--never a good sign.

"Sorry, Professor," he said. "Didn't mean to keep you waiting."

Annie was hot on Kerry's heels, worried about the enormous amount of trouble the were about to step into. This can't be anything good. We took a book from the reference library and played around with magic we weren't supposed to...not to mention all the kissing.

She felt her cheeks go red as they finally entered their charms professors office. Maybe she'll think it's because I've been running, she thought as Kerry greeted Professor Douglas.

"We're very sorry," she tacked on lamely and stared at an interesting spot on the floor in front of her.

Her guests arrived out of breath and in grand style. She tilted her head and studied them for a moment. They think they're in trouble.

She strolled around to the chair behind her desk and lowered herself into it, desperate to control the smirk threatening to let them in on her tasty secret for a few more moments.

She motioned to the two empty chairs in front of her desk. “Please, have a seat.” As they sat, she sprang back up out her own chair and crossed back around to the front, plopping down on her desk instead.

“Do you have any idea why you are both here in my office this afternoon?” She folded her arms across her chest and put on her best I'm disappointed in you, face.

Kerry didn't need to look for the right words. Try to BS normal teachers might be easy, he thought. Who knows what sort of anti-lying magic is floating about this room?

"It has to do with what we did last night," Kerry said, then looked up to see if the expression on the professor's face changed. "Right?"

Annie looked up at their professor, who really resembled an older version of themselves, and thought she saw her expression lighten.

That has to be it, she thought. We're going to be separated because of what went on in the dungeon.
"Professor, we're really sorry for what happened last night in the dungeon. Kerry helped me review a couple of the basic spells and then we decided to try something more advanced because..." she glanced over at Kerry. "Well, we got a little bored with the first year stuff."

She was starting to feel a little panicked at the idea of being put into a different charms class. "Please forgive us. We promise to follow the rules if you'll let us stay together."

Wednesday couldn't take it a moment longer. She laughed so hard, she was holding her sides because they ached.

After regaining her composure, she crossed her legs underneath her and smiled brightly at both of them. These two will fit in nicely with my small group.

“Okay, it’s time to let you both off the hook. You are not in trouble for all the smooching that happened in the dungeon. That was, for the most part, your own time—and what you choose to do on your own time is up to the both of you to decide. Personally, I might check out the tunnels… However, for the future, please understand that anything more than innocent kisses will end up getting you separated. There are several reasons that area is under surveillance…boys and girls who get a little too close are one of them.

“That’s not why I called you here though. What I was interested in knowing was how you managed to pull off the magic that you did. Were either of you aware that the spell you attempted was a sixth year and that it typically gives my students the most trouble to master?”

Kerry didn't want to come off as modest, because that wasn't his style. "No, Professor," he said. "We just . . . well, Annie thought it would be fun to try. And it seemed like, in terms of wand movement, not to difficult."

He shrugged. "It felt like in order to make the charm work you had to want it to work." He cast a sideways glance to Annie before saying, "Professor Kishna says you have to feel the spell in order to make it work. I guess that's what we did."

Wednesday nodded her head. “Not too difficult indeed. Well, if that’s the case, then I really have no other options here.

"I’d like to offer you both a spot in my advanced charms class. If you are interested, you’ll both be allowed to drop first year charms and switch your schedule to Wednesday evenings at seven.

“Since you will both be out of your coven until ten o’clock, I have already cleared it with both the headmistress and your coven head.”

She looked at each of them, wondering if either of them understood exactly what it was she’d just offered them. "What do you say?"

Annie's mouth gaped open at the offer. "You can't be serious, Professor. Advanced charms." She smiled wide. "That's incredible."

She swiveled in her seat to face Kerry. "This is a great opportunity. I'm sure we're both interested...right?"

Kerry had to rerun the Professor's words in his head again . . . Advanced Charms? Out of the regular class? Up until 10? He'd come in thinking they were about to get a slap down, and they were being--

Rewarded.

He started nodding slowly, still in a bit of shock. "Ye . . . ah. I mean--sure!" He looked at Annie and his face broke out in a tremendous smile. "Sure, Professor! I want in on that!" He laughed as he sat back. "Sure!"

Wednesday clapped her hands and smiled. "Wonderful. You won't regret it. You'll be in a class with my best students."

She hopped off her desk, reached out for both of their hands and pulled them out of their seats. Putting an arm around each of her newest star pupils, she walked them to her office door and said, "Keep doing whatever it is you're doing...cause it's working."

She let go of each of them and opened the door. "I'll see you both upstairs at seven o'clock sharp, next Wednesday. Enjoy your weekend."

As they sauntered off, Wednesday called after them "By the way, our Wednesday classes are casual attire. No uniform required."

She winked at their stunned faces and retired back into her office to watch their antics in her dungeon one more time.

Kerry couldn't help but take Annie's hand in his as they left the Charms building. "I can't believe it!" He was really walking on air. "I've never been in any special class for anything." He stopped and took in the school; the mountain behind them, the school wall in the distant, the Great Hall behind the Pentagon Tower Wall, and the Towers themselves, all nestled within their private forest.

"I'm so happy," he whispered. "This is only going to get better and better." He gave Annie a little kiss right there. "I'm going to tear it up on my broom later!"

Annie reached her arms up around his neck and hugged him. His reaction to their good news was one that she was all too familiar with.

"I can hardly believe what just happened in there. I'm so excited to get started in that Wednesday class." She leaned back so she could look at his face, but didn't let go. "But I'm even more thrilled that we get to share it together."

As they walked towards the Great Hall Kerry said, "You do realize that we have the rest of the weekend free? I mean . . ." He thought for a moment. "I know this sounds nuts, but I want to try getting that one charm down, the Finite. Once we get that we should be able to end that other invisibility charm."

He started laughing. "Jeez, I sound like at total geek. I never wanted to do this sort of stuff at the other schools." He looked over to Annie. "You do know we're gonna have to learn all those easy charms on our own, right?"

"At least I know I have an excellent tutor." She smiled and bumped him with her hip.

As they walked along the campus, Annie wondered about the extra study time they'd need to put in to catch up to the rest of their new classmates in advanced charms. "I wish there was a way to be able to study those charms without having to do it in the charms dungeon," she said, slipping her arm through Kerry's.

"Maybe Professor Semplen might allow us to study down in our coven dungeon instead?"

I don't see why we couldn't." Kerry was nodding along with that idea. "We could borrow the charms books from the library and use them either in the Tower Dungeon or Main Dungeon."

He thought about the reference area in the Charms building then realized what they were talking about. "We already have those books--duh!" Laughing at his own dumbness, he said, "Yeah, we can ask Professor Semplen if we can set up a charms shop in the dungeon. I don't know that it would be a problem."